I was up in Portland visiting my sister last summer and stopped by her neighbor's coop. The guy had this simple setup with a timer on a light bulb in the coop. He said 14 hours of light keeps them laying through summer molts. I went home and rigged a cheap timer from Home Depot for $12. Within 3 days my girls were back to giving me 5 eggs a day instead of 1 or 2. Has anyone else tried this or do you just let nature take its course?
Honestly, I followed her advice because she had been raising chickens for a decade. Every December I'd set up that 250 watt bulb and run the extension cord out to the coop. Then last February a hen got too close and singed her comb bad, plus my electric bill hit $180 that month. My vet finally told me chickens are fine down to like 20 degrees if they're dry and out of the wind, so now I just seal up drafts and use deep litter. Has anyone else had a close call with heat lamps or switched to no supplemental heat?
Everyone says heat lamps are mandatory for winter chicks but after my neighbor's coop went up in flames I switched to a heated brooder plate from Tractor Supply and my 6 chicks did fine even in 15 degree weather. Has anyone else ditched the lamps for something safer?
I was skeptical of all the online hype about fermented feed for better egg quality, but after 3 months of trying it with my 6 hens, the yolks are noticeably darker and the shells feel thicker. Has anyone else seen a real difference in their flock, or am I just imagining it?
I was at Tractor Supply in Springfield last Saturday picking up oyster shells when this older guy saw me staring at a list of symptoms on my phone. He walked over and said "stop guessing and just feel her vent, it's right there." He showed me how to gently press below the tail to feel for a stuck egg, no internet needed. I had been stressing for two days about my Buff Orpington acting weird, and it turned out she just needed some calcium. That tip saved me a vet bill and probably the hen. Has anyone else had a random stranger at a store totally fix your chicken problem?
I used pine shavings for two years in my 6-hen coop in Ohio and couldn't kick the ammonia smell no matter how often I cleaned. Switched to straw bales from Tractor Supply about three months ago and the difference is night and day less moisture buildup and easier to spot clean. Anybody else tried switching beddings and found one that really works better?
I was convinced heat lamps were the way to go because they're what everyone talks about, but after 3 chicks got too close and singed their feathers (they're fine, don't worry) I swapped to a $40 brooder plate. The difference in movement is huge - they actually sleep under it instead of huddling in a corner. Has anyone else noticed their chicks acting calmer with a plate versus a lamp?
Last Tuesday my silkie went broody and hatched 3 chicks in the nesting box. Then Thursday a hawk took my favorite hen right in front of me. How do you all handle the emotional roller coaster of losing one while gaining others?
I was at the feed store yesterday picking up some oyster shell for my hens, and this young guy maybe 10 years old told his dad that chickens are basically tiny velociraptors. Made me laugh at first but then I sat there remembering how I used to just think of them as egg machines. My old Rhode Island Red, Gertie, she's got this way of cocking her head and stomping her foot that honestly does look prehistoric. Anyone else ever just watch their flock move and see something ancient in their behavior?
I started keeping chickens three years ago and every guide online said you must clean the coop weekly without fail. So for my first year and a half, I was out there every Saturday morning with a shovel and hose, no exceptions. Then last winter got so cold I skipped three weeks in a row because the water was frozen and I couldn't be bothered. To my surprise, the coop smelled fine, the bedding broke down better, and I haven't seen one mite problem since. I do a deep clean once a month now and just spot clean messes as I see them. Has anyone else moved to a less frequent cleaning schedule and noticed their birds are healthier for it?
He said he just lets his chickens free range during the day and lost one to a hawk last spring, then shrugged and said 'that's just part of it' - has anyone else had to decide between total security and letting them actually live like chickens?
I was dead set on keeping my rooster Charlie because he was so protective of the hens. Then last Tuesday morning in my backyard in Austin, he flew at my leg and drew blood through my jeans. I realized he was getting worse, not better, so I rehomed him to a farm 20 miles out of town. The flock is calmer now and my kids can go outside without me watching the door. Has anyone else had a rooster turn on them like that out of nowhere?
It was 18 degrees here in Ohio and I kept waking up to a solid block of ice in their waterer. I tried wrapping it in a towel but that did nothing, and now one of my girls looks a little listless. Has anyone found a cheap way to keep water from freezing without buying a heated base?
I know everyone says you gotta lock your chickens up tight every night to keep them safe from predators. But after losing two birds to heat stress during that July heatwave in 2022, I started leaving the coop door cracked open at night. My run is fully enclosed with hardware cloth and I buried the wire a foot down. Lost zero birds since then, and they actually seem happier in the morning. My neighbor thinks I'm crazy for it. Anyone else tried leaving their coop open on hot nights?
I live in rural Oregon and lost two hens to a fox back in March. I tried everything to secure the run, hardware cloth, dig barriers, the works. Then my neighbor suggested stacking straw bales around the outside of the coop walls. He said the foxes can't burrow through the dense straw because it collapses on them. I was skeptical but gave it a shot two weeks ago. Last Tuesday morning I found scratch marks all around the bales but no tunnel underneath. My girls are safe and the straw breaks down into compost over time. Anyone else use farm waste for predator proofing instead of spending 100 dollars on metal? Has this worked for you too?
Last Tuesday I got that fancy solar powered auto door for my coop. Worked great for about 3 days. Then at 11:30 PM I heard my rooster going absolutely NUTS. Went out there and the door was stuck halfway down with one hen trapped inside. Had to manually crank it open with a screwdriver in the dark while getting pecked. Any of you had issues with those automatic doors getting jammed by debris or weather?
I always thought soaking chicken feed was just extra work for no reason. But after my neighbor Sheryl in Portland swore by it for her flock's egg production, I tried it with just $8 worth of starter and some old feed. Within 3 days my hens were scratching through it way faster than dry pellets and the yolks got that deep orange color. Anyone else have their birds suddenly stop eating after switching to fermented?
I spent three years telling everyone those automatic coop doors were a gimmick and not worth the money. Last Tuesday I lost my favorite hen, Betty, to a raccoon that snuck in before I woke up to open the door manually. Has anyone found a reliable brand that actually holds up to raccoons trying to pry it open?
My neighbor Sarah was telling me she lost two hens to a Cooper's hawk last month, but she still lets them out for a few hours every afternoon during the fall migration. I mean, I get wanting to give them space, but I'd rather keep mine in the run until November. Has anyone else figured out a good balance between free ranging and safety?
Everyone online says you need hardware cloth for predator proofing, but I went with chicken wire because it was cheaper and easier. Took a raccoon getting through it twice and losing 3 birds before I finally ripped it all out and redid the whole run with 1/2 inch hardware cloth. The first fix was $50 for chicken wire, the real fix cost me $120 and a whole weekend of work. Has anyone else stubbornly learned the hard way about something basic that everyone tells you upfront?
I was in my backyard in Eugene at 7am letting the girls out and saw a red-tailed hawk just perched on the ridge of the run. My heart dropped because I had left the pop door open overnight by accident. I ran out yelling and it flew off, but I checked all 8 hens and one of them, my barred rock named Gertie, had a chunk of feathers missing near her tail. Now I double check that latch every night before bed - has anyone else had a close call like this with predators?
Last weekend my neighbor Karen, who's raised chickens for 15 years, said her flock was fine without a rooster and that mine was just a liability waiting for a hawk or a neighbor complaint. I mean, I love having him for protection and the morning crowing, but after he chased her kid across the yard I'm second guessing everything. So what do you all think - is it worth keeping a rooster for security if he causes drama, or should I just rehome him and rely on a secure run?
Honestly thought I was being smart buying one of those solar powered auto doors for the coop. Spent about $60 on Amazon and it worked great for the first 3 days. Then the timer got off because of clouds or something and locked my hens out at 4pm while it was still light. Had to run home from work to let them in. Took it off and went back to my old sliding latch with a brick on top, never had a problem since. Anyone else have better luck with those auto doors or is it just me?
I've been keeping chickens for about 3 years now, and I always thought giving them extra mealworms and scrambled eggs was like a superfood treat. Then last spring I noticed two of my girls were drinking way more water than normal and their poop was almost liquid. I figured it was just the heat, but then one of them stopped laying for a whole month. I asked a guy at the feed store in Austin about it, and he said I was probably overloading them on protein, which messes with their kidneys and calcium absorption. Turns out layer feed already has enough protein for most birds, and the extra stuff should only be like a 5 percent snack. Now I use mealworms as a rare training tool, not a daily bowl. Has anyone else accidentally messed up their flock's diet by being too generous?
I read on the University of Georgia extension site that free-range hens only lay about 15% fewer eggs per year, but their mortality rate jumps from like 3% to over 30% from predators. Which do you prioritize - better production with safety, or more natural behavior with higher risk?